The Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry is honored by a monument at Gettysburg.
About the Main Monument
When was it dedicated? September 11, 1889.
What is it made out of? Granite with bronze tablet.
What size is it? Approx. 11 ft. x 9 ft. 10 in. x 36 in.
Who made it? Smith Granite Company, fabricator.
What does it depict? A high relief of cavalry vidette mounted and bronze coat of arms is on the west. Relief of a full-length, mounted Cavalryman against a rounded marker on a low self-base. The edges of the marker and top of the base are rough-hewn. The figure is in full uniform and holds his rifle in his proper right gloved hand. The Cavalry Corps crossed sword insignia is on the reverse (east) face. On the lower right corner in the front, there is a relief plaque of the Pennsylvania State Seal.
What does it honor? Marks position occupied from 5:00 a.m. July 1, 1863 until relieved by First Corps troops about 10:00 am.
How is it inscribed? 17TH PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY/2D BRIGADE 1ST DIVISION CAVALRY CORPS. ARMY OF THE POTOMAC
When was this photograph taken? June 4, 2011.
Where is it located? Located Gettysburg National Military Park, Buford Avenue near Peace Light, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325. Located at the corner of Buford Avenue and Mummasburg Road.
Is this monument located along the NPS Auto Tour route? Yes.
Has this monument been moved or changed? This monument has been vandalized several times and been involved in accidents with vehicles. The trooper’s cap, spur, carbine barrel, and reins of the horse have all been broken and replaced with bronze items. The monument was originally all granite.
Monument Details, Alternative Views, and Contextual Views
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At Gettysburg
The 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry served as a member of Devin’s Brigade in Buford’s Division of the Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac.
Commander: Col. Joseph H. Kellogg (1836-1919). USMA 1860 from Erie, Pennsylvania.
Number Engaged: 448
Casualties: 4 missing
General Information
Raised: Beaver, Bradford, Cumberland, Lancaster, Lebanon, Luzerne, Schuylkill, and Susquehanna counties.
Regimental History ~ Dyer’s Compendium of the War of the Rebellion:
Organized at Harrisburg September to November, 1862. Left State for Washington, D.C., November 25, 1862. Attached to Cavalry Brigade, 11th Corps, Army Potomac, to February, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Army Potomac, to August, 1864, and Army Shenandoah to March, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Cavalry Corps, Army Potomac, to June, 1865.
SERVICE.—Camp at East Capital Hill, Defenses of Washington, until December, 1862. Skirmish at Occoquan, Dumfries, Va., December 19. Occoquan December 19-20 and 27-28. Frying Pan, near Chantilly, December 29. Wiggenton’s Mills February 6, 1863. Kelly’s Ford April 28. Chancellorsville Campaign April 26-May 8. Rapidan River April 29. Chancellorsville April 30-May 6. Brandy Station and Beverly Ford June 9. Upperville June 21. Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., July 1-3. Williamsport, Md., July 6. Boonsboro July 8. Benevola or Beaver Creek July 9. Funkstown July 10-13. Falling Water July 14. Kelly’s Ford July 30-August 1. Brandy Station August 1. Expedition from Leesburg August 30-September 2. Advance to the Rapidan September 13-17. Brandy Station and Culpeper C. H. September 13. Raccoon Ford September 14-16. Reconnaissance across the Rapidan September 21-23. Jack’s Shop, Madison C. H., September 22. Bristoe Campaign October 9-22. Raccoon Ford and Morton’s Ford October 10. Stevensburg October 11. Near Kelly’s Ford October 11. Brandy Station or Fleetwood October 12. Oak Hill October 15. Advance to line of the Rappahannock November 7-8. Mine Run Campaign November 26-December 2. Parker’s Store November 29. Demonstration on the Rapidan February 6-7, 1864. Kilpatrick’s Raid on Richmond February 28-March 4. Fortifications of Richmond March 1. Ashland March 1. Reconnaissance to Madison C. H. April 28. Rapidan Campaign May-June. Wilderness May 5-7. Brock Road and the Furnaces May 6. Todd’s Tavern May 7-8. Sheridan’s Raid to the James River May 9-24. North Anna River May 9-10. Ground Squirrel Church and Yellow Tavern May 11. Meadow Bridge May 12. Line of the Pamunkey May 26-28. Hanovertown May 26. Hanovertown Ferry and Hanovertown May 27. Crump’s Creek May 28. Haw’s Shop May 28. Totopotomoy May 28-31. Old Church and Mattadequin Creek May 30. Bethesda Church, Cold Harbor, May 31-June 1. Bottom’s Bridge June 1. Sheridan’s Trevillian Raid June 7-24. Trevillian Station June 11-12. Newark or Mallory’s Cross Roads June 12. White House or St. Peter’s Church June 21. Black Creek or Tunstall Station June 21. Baltimore Cross Road, June 22. Jones’ Bridge June 23. Demonstration on north side of the James at Deep Bottom July 27-29. Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign August 7-November 28. Toll Gate, near White Post, August 11. Near Newtown August 11. Cedarville, Guard Hill or Front Royal, August 16. Summit Point August 21. Kearneysville and Shepherdstown August 25. Leetown and Smithfield August 28. Smithfield Crossing of the Opequan August 29. Berryville September 6. Sevier’s Ford, Opequan Creek, September 15. Battle of Opequan, Winchester, September 19. Middletown and Strasburg September 20. Near Winchester and Smithfield September 24. Fisher’s Hill September 29 and October 1. Newtonia October 11. Winchester November 16. Expedition from Winchester into Fauquier and Loudoun Counties November 28-December 3. Expedition to Gordonsville December 19-28. Madison C. H. December 21. Liberty Mills December 22. Near Gordonsville December 23. Sheridan’s Expedition from Winchester February 27-March 25, 1865. Occupation of Staunton March 2. Waynesboro March 2. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Dinwiddie C. H. March 30-31. Five Forks April 1. Scott’s Cross Roads April 2. Tabernacle Church or Beaver Pond Creek April 4. Sailor’s Creek April 6. Appomattox Station April 8. Appomattox C. H. April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Expedition to Danville April 23-29. March to Washington, D.C., May. Grand Review May 23. Consolidated with 1st and 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry to form 2nd Provisional Cavalry June 17, 1865.
Regiment lost during service 6 Officers and 98 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 128 Enlisted men by disease. Total 232.
Pennsylvania at Gettysburg
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One Comment
Jenny, I forgot to check your site for a few days and almost missed this one. My great-something grandfather was in the 17th PA Cavalry, but he wasn’t mustered in until August of ’64. Walt and I splurged on a copy of H. P. Moyer’s History of the 17th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry to trace his service. But we never managed to pin down more details than what’s in the book. Walt read me some excerpts about his service from the official records, but for some reason we never kept notes.